Free From Dangerous Toxins

It is my privilege to get a lot of questions from the readers of this blog.

Lots of the questions I get are (understandably) about what's safe and what's not safe – in commercial brand products, in small company products, in someone else's DIY products, and in your own DIY products.

I love your questions and am constantly inspired by them, but I do get a little worried when you write things like:

"I want to live a preservative-free life because of the dangerous toxins" 

"I am trying to switch to a toxin-free lifestyle, so I need to find/make products without preservatives"

But here's the thing.

The toxins aren't in the preservatives.

The toxins happen all by themselves in the products you're making when you leave the preservatives out.

Really and truly.

So, please, for the sake of your health - don't associate preservatives with danger. It's the lack of preservatives that create danger.

So, How Can I...?

I totally understand wanting to 'find an alternative way', to 'go all natural' and to 'go all plant-based'. I've been on that route for years!

But if you want to go preservative-free, there is only one SAFE way to go:
make only enough product for a single use, then use it up in its entirety immediately.

Otherwise, ALL of your lovely infusions, extracts, deconcoctions, creams, tonics, lotions, and anything else with WATER in it, are going to turn into a toxic cocktail before you wake up tomorrow.

I'll bet you think I'm exaggerating.

I really wish I was.

You would be floored if you could witness how fast bacteria grows in preservative-free products containing water - even more so when they are plant-based.

Think you can smell or see if an unpreserved product has gone bad?

Sorry, but you can't.

Check this post at Personal Care, Truth or Scare for an illustrated example.

No 2 Ways

If you are buying someone else's DIY and they tell you their (water-containing) products are preservative free - trust this: you are buying a bacteria bomb that might give you all kinds of unpleasant reactions.

There are no 2 ways about it.

If a commercial brand company tells you their body lotion is preservative-free 'because they use super-refined aloe vera' then you have my permission to guffaw at them – loudly, because they either are lying their heads off or they are dumb as dirt and will be shut down by the authorities for endangering the health of their customers any day now.

If they aren't dumb as dirt, then they are in all likelihood hiding the preservatives under terms such as 'parfum' on their ingredients list.

There are no 2 ways about it.

Dangerous Toxins?

Finally, a bit of semantics: I keep hearing and reading the phrase 'dangerous toxins'.

Really?

Can someone please point me to some safe toxins?


End of rant.

Do Tell

Are you passionate about preservatives? (against or for?) Speak up!